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Warlock Magazin - Kifelé a Veremből
*Warlock+Out of the Pit *Monster Index *Scribd Out Of The Pit is a black and white illustrated bestiary of 250 monsters featured in the Fighting Fantasy and Sorcery! game book series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Published by Puffin books it was edited by Marc Gascoigne and has a wrap-around cover illustration by Christos Achilleos. (It collects articles printed in the Warlock magazine's regular 'Out Of The Pit' feature.) The format of the book is an introduction, a synopsis of the world of Titan where the books are set, a map of Allansia, a map of Kakhabad, The Creatures Of Allansia And Beyond (the 250 monster entries), Treasure and Encounter Tables. The monsters' artwork is a combination of illustrations culled from the game books plus original material. There is no index. Having been through the Warlock magazines I have decided to post my findings in two posts. This, the first of the two, details the extra out of the pit monsters from the Out of the Pit section of the magazines. Thus this entry will be particularly useful for the complete list of humanoids, and for the completion of the 'Into the Pit' Area of AFF.com, as well as providing the odd bit of information about certain mages and sorcerors. The second will detail added information gleaned from adventures, articles etc that is to do with Titan. With regard to the OotP entries I have scanned in the exact text for each of the monsters rather than edit it: (Please note that those from Warlock 1,2,4 and 5 were also in OotP the book, but with the exception of 2, which is just a list, I have included details below). Warlock 1: (These all appeared in the OotP book as well) SENTINEL It was Baron Kognoy of Kaypong, a province to the east of Fang, who first sought more sophisticated ways of guarding his wealth than by simply locking it up in a treasure chest. He hired a learned wizard to develop a special potion that would surprise any would-be looter. When it was finally ready, Baron Kognoy was extremely pleased with the result, and even went into business with the wizard to sell the special potion, such was the demand after the secret was revealed. It is a delightfully simple potion to use. A few drops are sprinkled on to any gemstone or precious metal. As soon as that stone or metal is touched by human flesh, it will be transmuted into a SENTINEL made of the same substance as the stone or metal. Thus, a Gold Piece would transmute Into a GOLD SENTINEL, and a diamond into a DIAMOND SENTINEL— fanatical and almost invincible warriors. They are immune to blows from normal weapons unless their adversary is already holding the gem or metal of which the Sentinel is made. Thus, Attack Rounds against a GOLD SENTINEL can never be won unless you are holding a Gold Piece. SKILL STAMINA Gem SENTINELS 11 9 Metal SENTINELS 12 12 Of course, some owners of the potion experimented with sprinkling it on glass and iron for sadistic pleasure. However, it is safe to handle any object sprinkled with the potion if silk gloves are worn. BIRD MAN Usually dwelling in warm climates, these sinewy bird-like men live high on rocky crags in small groups. They are green in colour and their hands and feet are virtually claws. Their wings are thin membranes and they have beaks and shrill voices. They attack humans for their metal objects, which are symbols of power to the Bird Men. Swooping silently down on their prey, they are swift and ruthless killers, using their sharp claws and occasionally a stolen short sword. Their speed and cunning are a dangerous combination, and many adventurers have been killed in the open by not paying enough attention to the sky. BIRD MAN SKLLL 12 STAMINA 8 They do not, however, have very tough hide and can be killed quite easily if you are able to wound them. MESSENGER OF DEATH These soulless creatures are perhaps the most bizarre killers known to man. They are assassins who delight in a psychological game of fear. Their appearance is quite horrifying; ragged clothes cover their long thin bodies, and their faces have hollow eyes and mouths filled with thick slime which makes their deep voices sound like a sickening gurgle. In order to kill its prey, a MESSENGER OF DEATH must take a chance with its own life. It must sentence its victim by touching it and by uttering the word `death'. Only then is the Messenger of Death vulnerable to a silver weapon being plunged into its heart. If this is not done, then the game of death commences. The Messenger of Death will disappear to lay its message ahead of its victim. The letters of the word `death' will be marked in various places in different forms. One letter could be painted on a door, another chipped out of stone and another etched in metal. Only if all the letters are read by the victim will the Messenger of Death reappear to watch the life drain away from its helpless prey. It is thought that Messengers of Death inhabit the same undead plane as Spirit Stalkers. MESSENGER OF DEATH SKILL 7 STAMINA 6 EARTH DEMON These rare gargantuans' lives are dormant for the most part. Made of rock and earth, they lie just beneath the surface of the ground, waiting for unwary travellers to step on them. Then they rise out of the ground, pulling up roots and bushes which are attached to them. They attack by crushing their victims and are incredibly powerful. EARTH DEMON SKILL 12 STAMINA15 An Earth Demon's strength comes from the earth itself, and a wound will reduce Its STAMINA by only 1 point Instead of the usual 2. Its source of strength, though, is also its weakness. If the Earth Demon can be lifted off the ground during an Attack Round instead of being attacked with a weapon, it will lose 6 points from its STAMINA score. If you win an Attack Round, you may elect to lift it instead of inflicting the 1-point wound; if so, you have manoeuvred yourself into a position to attempt to lift it without It being able to harm you. Roll two dice. If you roll a double, then the attempt to lift it will be successful. It is not certain why Earth Demons attack humans, as they do not eat them. There is a legend that suggests that Earth Demons were created by an alchemist's experiment which went sadly wrong. A potion spilt on the ground produced the first Earth Demon and its innate hatred for mankind. Warlock 2: No details in this magazine, simply a list of monsters from already published gamebooks Warlock 3: DOOM DEMON by Andrew Mayo The DOOM D E M ON is the Prince of the Undead and all mankind fears him greatly. He rides a flaming iron chariot, pulled by a huge, two- headed DEVIL DOG, as strong as a cart-horse and utterly loyal to its master. The Doom Demon can only stalk the land at night, when he rides out and roams the Desert of Skulls, southwards from Oyster Bay to the Whitewater River, where his domain ends. It is believed he is tied to the desert in some way — perhaps his mortal form once lived there, many oceans ago. During the day he must lie dormant in his Castle of Black Steel, at the fiery edge of Hell. The Doom Demon draws his power from the chain of skulls that hangs round his neck. These are the remains of the twelve images of Ciarensia, whose souls he has trapped within their skulls. It is presumed that he also has some links with the element of fire, for flames stream from his hair and clothes, as well as his chariot. Wherever he goes he leaves a trail of fire, setting alight anything inflammable, scorching a path of fiery destruction across the countryside. His symbol of power is his whip, made from the hair of a hag who attempted to curse him. He kills swiftly and ruthlessly, first hypnotizing his victim with his hollow eyes, then, with a single lash of the whip, destroying the helpless victim's soul, at which point the Devil Dog moves in to feed. The Doom Demon wears a flaming black cape, which sustains his incorporeal, undead form. Only when this is destroyed can the Doom Demon be defeated. To destroy the Demon would require the following: first, to kill the Devil Dog in the usual way. DEVIL DOG SKILL6 STAMINA 8 Second, to evade the Doom Demon's hypnotic stare by using a mirror to reflect his gaze back on to himself. Third, to rip the cape from his shoulders while he is trapped by his own gaze, and then to cast Holy Water into his eyes. This will bring him back from the dead, making him vulnerable to ordinary weapons. Then he can be fought and defeated in hand-to-hand combat. DOOM DEMON SKILL 9 STAMINA12 Apparently only three people have lived after seeing the Doom Demon, all of them Dwarfs who were fishing on the north bank of the Whitewater River as he passed them on the other side. They are believed to live in a small village somewhere on the Pagan Plain. SHADOW MONSTER by Simon Wood This peculiar creature is not alive in the ordinary sense of the word but is a product of evil sorcery. Shadow Monsters are generally used by powerful and malevolent sorcerers and necromancers such as Zanbar Bone of the Black Tower as guardians of their seats of power, but not everywhere, as the spell works only in places where the sun's rays fall. The sorcerer casts an invisible pattern of magic runes on to an area of wall on which the sun shines. When any rash adventurer passes by, he or she throws a shadow on the pattern, activating the SHADOW MONSTER. The shadow comes to life and, stepping from the wall, attacks its double', and with the same SKILL. It has a definite physical form and can be harmed by ordinary weapons. If the monster is `slain' the activating spell is likewise destroyed, otherwise, it continues to function every time an adventurer passes by, but only once a week. SHADOW MONSTER SKILL special STAMINA 20 CAVE VAMPIRE by Bruce Newsom This vicious beast is the largest type of vampire bat known to man. Some five to six feet in length, including its two-foot tail (when fully grown), the CAVE VAMPIRE is found only in the deepest, darkest caverns, mostly in mountainous regions where local geology provides caverns large enough to house it. The Cave Vampire differs in several respects from the common bat other than by its size. It has very large and bulging light-sensitive eyes which it uses instead of sonar waves. It also has a very keen sense of smell, and when in its own cave can pick up the scent of its quarry from up to a kilometre away. It is particularly voracious and will attack and feed on any living thing. Although it is not intelligent it does have natural cunning and will not attack anything that looks difficult to kill. It will always fly away if faced with overwhelming odds. Cave Vampires usually live in caverns large enough to provide food and rarely venture into the open, although some have been known to forage in the open at night, attacking livestock and human beings. It attacks with its claws (three on each wing and two clawed feet) and teeth, and sports two large canines, its usual tactic is to wrap its wings round the victim and sink its teeth into the neck. It is incredibly strong and an average human would find it extremely difficult to break free. Any adventurer so caught must Test his or her Luck, subtracting one from the die roll for each pointed object carried. Its one weakness is its eyesight. Because it is so sensitive to light it is put off by anything bright and doesn't like to see its own reflection. Warriors in shining plate armour can usually avoid attack from these creatures. It pays to keep your armour clean! CAVE VAMPIRE SKILL 12 STAMINA 6 Warlock 4: (These also appeared in OotP the book) CAARTH SKILL: 10 STAMINA: 11 Type: Humanoid Habitat: Wilderness, desert Number Encountered: 2 to 7 Reaction: Hatred intelligence: High "With a stifled gasp, the ape-man fell forward, dropping his brandished club; a throwing-dagger protruded from the small of his back. There woes light step on the stone floor of the ruined temple, and I looked up into the coldest, cruellest pair of eyes I ever wish to meet" From `Travels', by the seer Belisarius Beyond the southern limits of human civilization lie endless desert wastes. Here and there are scattered tribes of squat ape-men and brutish Neanderthals, but ruling over them all are the CAARTH. Legend has it that they are descended from the same lineage as men and orcs; but where men came from apes and orcs were crossed with swine, so the CAARTH were crossed with snakes! Standing over two metres tall, these evil humanoids have blunt reptilian heads, crowned with a bony ruff at the back of the neck, which leads down into a ridged, spined back. Cold eyes bulge from the top of their snouts, and their mouths are full of needle-like fangs. Their bodies and limbs are smooth and hairless, but their hands and feet end in bestial talons. They are highly intelligent, and their knowledge is said to be as wide as man's. They are much stronger than men, however, and are fearless warriors who fight with teeth and talons as well as with swords, javelins and bows. In their intricate stone cities hidden in the wastelands, it is said, they are ruled by mighty sorcerers and high priests, who practise vile demonic rituals and worship the dreadful snake demon, Sith. What is certain is that the CAARTH armies are strong and disciplined, and have spread cruel dominion over much of the southern lands, taking slaves and high taxes of all they conquer. They are kept from spreading such a rule further north only by the more temperate climate, but those who have encountered CAARTH war parties have rarely lived to tell of it — their bodies are usually found much later, staked out on the hot sand to die. DEATH SPIDER SKILL: 14 STAMINA: 9 Type: Demon Habitat: Hell, dungeons, ruins Number Encountered: 1 Reaction: Hatred Intelligence: Very high Some demons pass the time by roasting the souls of the damned over steaming pits of brimstone and sulphur. Others enjoy trying to tempt holy men, as they fast in the wilderness, with the delights of being evil, just once. And some stalk the earth as DEATH SPIDERS, luring adventurers to hell as a spider lures a fly. These diabolic creatures appear as massive grey-black spiders, but instead of normal arachnid heads they have demonic heads, with a malevolent travesty of a human face, dripping fangs and stubby horns. Almost five metres across, they lurk in dungeons and ruins, ready to trap an unwary explorer. When encountered, they will usually be in the centre of, or at least close by, a large web. This near-invisible tangle of sticky, silver strands is the demon's link with the Ruling of the Damned, and is used to capture its victims. When it attacks the DEATH SPIDER tries to bite its opponent, both to inflict damage and to inject a paralysing poison. If the attack succeeds the adventurer must Test his Luck If he fails, he is paralysed by the venom and will be dragged on to the web end bitten until he dies. Once shack to the web, the. corpse of the. dead adventurer, together with the DEATH SPIDER and its ghostly web, will start to dematerialise., and return to the demon's plane, where the soul of the victim can be extracted at its pleasure, and tortured for the rest of eternity! STRANGLE WEED SKILL: 8 STAMINA: 13 Type: Plant Habitat: Forests, ruins Number Encountered: 1 to 3 Reaction: Neutral / unfriendly Intelligence: Low STRANGLE WEED occurs in many overgrown areas, but it is most commonly found ~hidden among the dense thickets at the heart of Darkwood Forest. Although it looks much like the trees that surround it, it Is In fact a large, vine-like creeper, and a most voracious one at that. The main body of the plant grows up to four metres high, and can easily be mistaken for a real tree-trunk, with its rough, bark-like surface. From around the top of this thick stem as many as fifty thin tendrils droop to the ground. The STRANGLE WEED uses them as a fisherman would, to trap the small creatures it usually lives off. Each tendril is about six metres long, and ends in a cluster of bright, pungent-smelling flowers. When an unsuspecting creature stops to nibble, or disturbs the tendrils in anyway, the rest of the creepers lash around it. Squeezing with prodigious strength, they choke the prey to death, and then raise it to the top of the stem and squash its juices out into a shallow hollow, where they are slowly digested over the next few hours. STRANGLE WEED isn't averse to snatching at anything that disturbs its creepers, and that Includes humans! If an unwary adventurer should activate the tendrils, they will immediately whip around him. While he may make the normal attack, the STRANGLE WEED will also automatically strangle 1 point of his STAMINA every round, if the adventurer dies, it will raise the corpse up, and slowly crush his flesh and extract his juices, leaving the skeleton hanging high above the ground. it can be very disconcerting to take a stroll through the forest and stumble on such horrific aerial graveyards! KRELL SKILL: 8 STAMINA: 5 Typo: Animal Habitat: Wild — Forest, jungle Tame — Towns, and anywhere men are Number Encountered: Wild — 1 to 6 Tame — 1 Reaction: Friendly/wary Intelligence: Average Originally found in the steamy jungle of the east, KRELL are six- armed ape-like creatures. Covered in thick mats of brown hair, they are incredibly nimble, and swing dextrously through the trees at great speeds. In the wild, KRELL are very hard to find, since they are very shy creatures, who blend into the thick jungle foliage. They live in small family groups, hunting and eating parrots, rats and other small creatures, as well as fruit and roots. The quick wits of the KRELL make them ideal as pets or magical familiars for wizards and other characters. They are highly suited to sneaking, spying and thieving, as much at home clambering up walls and over roof-tops as they are swinging through trees. In a fight they can be quite vicious, hanging on to their foe with as many limbs as possible (often smothering their opponent's face), and then biting with sharp, pointed teeth. Occasionally, their masters will teach them simple tricks, such as juggling or tumbling, and some KRELL are dressed in miniature suits of clothes and taught to bow and be courteous. In their natural habitats, KRELL communicate in a complicated language of clicks and chatters. A few of their owners learn this language, but none can match the achievement of the Arch-wizard Belandros, who taught his KRELL to speak the language of men (though, it must be said, in a thick eastern accent!). Warlock 5 The Apes of Mauristatia Howl Cats Wraith Apes The Champaque Mungies The Apes of Mauristatia by Steve Jackson This issue's Out of the Pit is a little different from normal. It describes some of the higher-order animal species living in the Sorcery! land of Kakhabad. On pages 26—7 you will find a map of the area, which also doubles as a board for a multi-player role-playing adventure using the Fighting Fantasy R PG rules. Readers wishing to play this adventure should allow only the GamesMaster to read Out of the Pit. Adventurers will find out all about the creatures described below when they set off In Search of the Mungies' Gold. The north-western corner of Kakhabad is largely unexplored. As evil and chaotic creatures were forced into the Vermin pit and spread themselves across the land, the civilized kingdoms lost sight of them. Over generations, they evolved and mutated to fit their new habitats, and now men can only guess at what manner of creatures lurk in the nether regions. Recently a merchant ship from Brice set sail on a trading mission to Kharé. Its captain, Sante Shaaman, arrived at the Cityport at dusk. While his crew unloaded the cargo, Captain Shaaman made his way to the Wayfarer's Rest to spend the night. It was there that he heard of the Mutton Fish. A fisherman in the inn was talking of huge fish swimming in Lake Lumlé — fish so large that they would provide enough food for a month of banqueting, and with flesh so tasty and tender that those of the crew who tasted them soon became hopelessly addicted to their flavour. An idea sparked in Shaaman's mind. If the fisherman's words were true, this could be an opportunity for him to make money — perhaps even his fortune, If he could take a catch of these fish back to Brice, this cargo would be of inestimable value — provided that the taste of these fish truly was as addictive as the fisherman made out. The next morning, his ship sailed from Kharé into the great lake, with his crew's eyes peeled for signs of the Mutton Fish. It was late afternoon when the storm broke. A tremendous gale blew the ship across Lake Lumlé to the north- western shore, where it ran aground and stuck in the muddy bed. There. were no casualties, but the ship could not be freed. The only means of releasing the ship was to unload its cargo and return for it later. With the load lightened, it eventually became possible to set sail once more. A handful of crew were left ashore to guard the cargo until Shaaman could return with a smaller rescue ship. When he did return, some six weeks later, only one crew member remained alive. The cargo had been ransacked. The bodies of three less fortunate crew members lay around the shore, mutilated beyond recognition. The surviving crewman was in a state of nervous shock. His rantings made no sense to anyone, but one word continually punctuated his account of what had happened: Apes! The north-western shore of Lake Lumlé rises into the foothills of the Cloudcap Mountains. The crewmen had discovered some of the inhabitants of the mountains. They had discovered the Apes of Mauristatia! Four species of Great Ape dominate Mauristatia and each is very different from the more familiar apes of the New World. HOWL CATS When first discovered, Howl Cats were mistaken for a variety of feline. Indeed, on first sighting, it is not difficult to imagine how this mistake was made. But they were subsequently discovered to be members of the Ape family, even though their heads are more characteristic of a lion than of an ape. They are short-haired apes, about the size of a large dog, and inhabit the timber-line between forests and higher mountainous areas, mainly in the western reaches of Kakhabad. Their bodies are a mottled grey colour, but their heads are ringed with a bold, ruddy mane (hence their resemblance to lion). Howl Cats are carnivorous. Though they attack in turn, one after the other, a second creature is rarely needed in a battle. Their Jaws are lined with razor-sharp teeth and each hand, or paw, wields a single slashing claw. They take their name from their battle-cry, an ear- piercing shriek which cannot fail to strike terror in the hearts of their opponents. This cry is always a prelude to their launching into attack, and, for the Attack Round following this howl, anyone fighting a Howl Cat must deduct 1 point from their Attack Strength. During a battle, a Howl Cat will voice its cry whenever it takes STAMINA damage, and its opponent must suffer the Attack Strength penalty for the next Attack Round. But each time it utters its scream, this drains 1 STAMINA point from the creature. HOWL CAT SKILL 8 STAMINA 9 WRAITH APES Rarely seen during the day, Wraith Apes are a fiercely territorial species of large monkey. They hunt at night, usually in packs of three or four. Left to themselves, they will avoid humans, but if they find any sort of bipedal creature trespassing in their territory while they are patrolling at night, they will attack without warning. Their short-haired fur is as black as coal, which serves to camouflage them at night, while they stalk their territory. A sharp- eyed observer (with a SKILL of 9+) will be able to spot them just before they approach, but only by their glowing red eyes. Wraith Apes have night vision and, when they attack at night, will add 2 to their Attack Strength against any creature without night vision. However, such an observer must be looking for them high in the trees. Wraith Apes are so called because of their method of attack. A large fold of skin under each arm allows these creatures limited powers of flight. Throwing themselves from a high perch, they are able to glide deftly down upon their victims and land accurately in front of them. To anyone who has never come across a Wraith Ape before, this frightening spectre appears as a frenzied Wraith, silhouetted against the night sky. Wraith Apes have another dangerous ability: they have learned to use the leaves of the Blade Tree as a weapon. Blade Trees have sharp, broad-bladed leaves which grow at the ends of strong branches. The leaves themselves are as hard as rock, so these makeshift weapons are equivalent to a sharpened stone axe. WRAITH APE (without weapon)SKILL7 STAMINA7 WRAITH APE (with weapon) SKILL8 5TAMINA7 The creatures will attack one at a time; a second will descend to attack only when the first is killed. THE CHAMPAQUE Easily recognizable by its long green fur, which serves to camouflage it well in the higher branches of the Pango Trees, the Champaque is a beast to be avoided at all costs. It is a moderately intelligent creature, with a face like an ageing sorcerer and long, powerful limbs. The Champaque is a voracious carnivore which spends much of its time well hidden in the upper branches of its favourite tree, watching for prospective prey. It is a solitary creature and has the uncanny ability to mimic the voices of any animal it studies. Having such a close resemblance to humans, it cannot only imitate a human voice, but can also mimic human mannerisms. For those who have never come across a Champaque before, it at first appears to be a curious hybrid of man and ape. Its behaviour will be friendly, as it attempts to catch its victim off guard by continuing a conversation (but never giving much information away), until it seizes its chance to attack. CHAMPAQUE SKILL7 STAMINA10 The purpose of its attack is always for food and it will drag its victim away as quickly as possible into the undergrowth where it will feast on the warm brains. After having eaten, the beast becomes even more dangerous. For the Champaque has the ability to digest parts of its victims' brains intact, thus absorbing same of the intelligence of its hapless prey. For each gruesome meal that a Champaque has eaten within the previous twenty-four hours, its SKILL increases by 1 point up to a maximum of 5, when it will be full. Thus a fully fed Champaque will be: CHAMPAQUE SKILL 12 STAMINA 10 The only advice that can be offered to adventurers who come across a Champaque, is simple: It must be killed immediately! MUNGIES Similar in appearance to Wraith Apes, but somewhat smaller, Mungies appear in packs of four to five. They move with lightning- quick reactions. MUNGIE SKILL 5 STAMINA4 They attack in packs and must be fought as a single creature, adding 1 SKILL and 3 STAMINA for each additional Mungie in the pack. The creatures have glowing red eyes and have the advantage of night vision. As plants are attracted towards the sun, Mungies are uncontrollably drawn towards Gold. They are the ultimate natural pickpockets, using their nimbi. reactions to pilfer Gold from the packs or even the pockets of any adventurers whose concentration wanders. They prefer to steal at night, when there is less chance that they will be spotted. Anyone asleep in Mungie area will without doubt fall foul of their thievery. In fact, anyone walking through Mungie territory even in broad daylight will have to Test for Luck to see whether the Mungies are successful. But apart from this lust for Gold, Mungies are quite harmless and will attack only in self-defence. An adventurer may only attack them (i.e. will only be able to follow their quick movements) if he has a SKILL of 10+ at night or 9+ during the day. Anyone with a lesser SKILL will just not be able to catch the little creatures. More unscrupulous adventurers have often wondered whether it would be possible to train a Mungie to steal Gold for their own purposes. In fact this is possible, but no one has so far succeeded. Only a wizard would be able to capture one of the little creatures and then must cast a Control Creature spell. Their insatiable appetite for Gold has led adventurers to an obvious conclusion. Somewhere within the lands of the Mungies there must be a tremendous hoard of their rich pilferings. The Mungies' gold is a quest talked about boastfully in the inns of Kharé. But no one has yet plucked up courage to attempt this quest. This is not so much in apprehension of the creatures themselves, but more in fear of the unknown territory in which the Mungies live and in particular the Mungies' neighbours, the other Apes of Mauristatia. Warlock 6 THE SOUL STEALER Anonymous Skill: 11 Stamina : 14 Type Undead/Demon Habitat: Ruins, wilderness Number Encountered: 1 Reaction : Hatred Intelligence: High The Soul Stealer is a creature born in the pits of hell, its sole purpose being to draw the souls from living beings. In taking another's life this foul beast not only absorbs the victim's soul, but also inherits his skills. From the waist up the Soul Stealer resembles a decaying human body; except that it has no mouth, and its fingers are tipped with suckers which it fixes to its victim and through which it drains life forces. The lower part of its body is a serpent's tail. Some very powerful Soul Stealers have hypnotic powers: the adventurer must Test his Luck and, if unlucky, he is mesmerised by the creature and is at its mercy. During combat, STAMINA is deducted normally from either the adventurer or the Soul Stealer; but with every two rounds of combat lost by the adventurer, 1 point of his SKILL is transferred from him to the Soul Stealer, which thus becomes progressively tougher as the fight continues. A Soul Stealer's victim dies when either his STAMINA or SKILL is reduced to zero. The victim's soul is dragged down to the nether regions, while his mortal remains are dissolved in the corrosive slime which the Soul Stealer secretes from a cluster of globules on the lower part of its face. KILLER DICE by S Wilson Skill: None Stamina: None Type: Inanimate Habitat: Anywhere Number Encountered: 1 or 2 Reaction : None Intelligence: None These dice can be encountered anywhere, at any time — but usually during combat. They will hurtle down corridors, and any adventurer in their path must Test his Luck to see if he can dive out of the way. If he fails, roll one dice to find out which face hit him, and deduct that number of STAMINA points. Adventurers have a supposititious fear of these mysterious objects, and claim that they are the playthings of the gods. SEWER BEAST by Matt Gillman Skill: 8 Stamina : 16 Type : Animal Habitat: Sewers Number Encountered: 1 to 3 Reaction: Unfriendly Intelligence: Very low The result of genetic experiments on sea-creatures by the evil alchemist Plidor, Sewer Beasts have escaped to proliferate and infest the drainage systems of most towns. In some of the most wretched areas of some cities they are worshipped as gods; it is rumoured that human sacrifices have been made. Sewer Beasts will eat any living creature. Each Sewer Beast has eight strong tentacles with powerful suckers. It can live in or out of water, and uses some of its tentacles to cling to sewer walls or ceilings; the rest are available to attack passers- by and draw them into the enormous, giant clam-like mouth that makes up most of its bulk. When cornered, it can use all of its limbs to defend itself, and can therefore attack up to 4 times per combat round. WHISTLE BUDS by Paul Croley Skill : 7 Stamina: 11 Type: Plant Habitat: Forests, Swamps Number Encountered: 1 to 3 Reaction : Unfriendly Intelligence : Very low This strange plant can be found in Darkwood Forest or the depths of Scorpion Swamp. Each Whistle Buds plant is a flat creeper covering areas of ground and occasionally tree trunks.. Its foliage is red, and it bears what appear to be dark red buds which are in fact carnivorous appendages — "mouths" with small, sharp teeth that cling to their victim. Several mouths attacking together can reduce even a large animal — or adventurer — to a torn, bloodless corpse within minutes. Whistle Buds can detect movement in their vicinity — only the stealthiest movement will fail to alert them. When they detect movement, they emit a piercing, high-pitched whistle at a very high volume. Earplugs will protect an adventurer; without them, he is partially incapacitated by the pain caused by the loud whistling, and must fight with his SKILL reduced by 2 points. THE CLOUD OF CHAOS by M D Freake Skill :11 Stamina : 16 Type: Non-terrestrial being Habitat: Marshes, moorland Number Encountered 1 Reaction: Neutral/Unfriendly Intelligence : High The Cloud of Chaos is a creature from a different plane of existence, trapped on our earthly plane. It inhabits lonely places, where-it miserably accumulates gems and precious metals, which it believes to have magical powers (where it comes from, they do). Very occasionally, a traveller will find a hoard of treasure under low marshland vegetation or in a cranny in a windswept rock. Such hoards are said to be a Cloud of Chaos' collection. When an adventurer encounters a Cloud of Chaos, the Cloud will demand an offering. It will accept any precious metal, including coins, or gems, and allow the adventurer to continue on his way. But if the adventurer refuses to make an offering, or attempts to placate the Cloud with provisions, or clothing, for instance, he Cloud will attack. Warlock 7 SKURASHA Skill: 8 Stamina: 11 Habitat: Demonic Plane, Dungeons, Ruins Number Encountered: 1 Type: Demon Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Low Imagine a jelly-fish. Imagine a jelly-fish that stands seven feet tall on a dozen slime-trailing tentacles, that shuffles about dungeon passages in search of prey to suck the rains out of. Equip it with a band of waving, sting-tipped tentacles, and a ring of eyes that allows the monstrosity to look in all directions at once, and you have a Skurasha. An unintelligent servant of the Demon Princes, a Skurasha is usually left to patrol outlying passages in case of adventurers or invading troops. They are brought up to attack just about anything they encounter, and they appear to be able to smell humans, in particular, from a long way off. They attack with their tentacles, by reaching out and stinging. They are not sociable creatures, being stupid and aggressive, and they are unable to communicate except by waving their tentacles in complicated patterns. Other creatures, even the disgusting Demonspawn, will rarely work with them, for fear of being attacked themselves, and so the Skurasha are left to wander the lonely passages alone. GLYTH Skill: 12 Stamina: 12 Habitat: Dungeons, Ruins, Caves Number Encountered: 1 Type : Undead Reaction Hostile Intelligence: High The Glyth are shadow-skulking undead creatures which lurk in the darkest places. They look, as far as anyone can tell, like the shadows of tall, muscular humanoids, with no features save a pair of slanting, yellow eyes. They are solitary beings, and have never been encountered in the company of other Glyth, or any other creatures. It is possible that Glyth are related to Will-o-the-Wisps, for like those unearthly creatures they feed on the life forces of humans. A Glyth will lurk amongst the shadows in the corners of dungeons or caves, slipping and skulking about until it detects the presence of a human. Using the gloom as cover, it will sneak up close, and then pounce, grabbing its prey in a pair of very strong ghostly hands. Its opponent must roll under their Skill score to escape its grip, or the Glyth will slowly twist head around until they are looking into its evil glowing eyes. Unless the unfortunate victim can struggle from the Glyth's clammy grasp, by rolling under their Skill again, they will look on abstractly as the Glyth slowly twists and bends their necks until the bones snap and their life force is sucked from them. Glyth can be fought normally, though their shadowy forms are so hard to connect with that a successful blow will only cause 1 Stamina point of damage. However, shining a bright light directly at them will cause 1 die of dam- age to them, and (on a roll of 1 to 4 on one die) cause them to flee. If their victim is carrying a lantern or lighted torch, they can thrust it into the Glyth's face and scare it away, rolled as above. If the attempt fails, though, the Glyth will grab hold again, and try to strangle the life out of its victim. Warlock 8 CAVE CRAWLER by Craig Vooght Skill: 8 Stamina: 7 Habitat: Caves, Dungeons Number Encountered: 1 Type: Animal Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Low The Cave Crawler is a large, hairy creature about the size of a bear. It roams caves and tunnels in constant search of food, clinging to the ceiling with its powerful clawed hands and feet. Virtually blind, the creature relies on its exceptional sense of smell, and more importantly on the sounds picked up by its wide, sensitive ears. Like a bat, the Cave Crawler emits a shrill scream that can echo back from potential prey, enabling the beast to pinpoint their location with a deadly accuracy. To escape the attentions of a Cave Crawler, an adventurer must press himself against the cavern wall and Test for Luck. If the Cave Crawler locates them (i.e. they are Unlucky), it swings down and hangs from the ceiling by its feet, attacking by slashing out with its clawed paws. As it fights, the Cave Crawler continues to emit its deafening screech. After each Combat Round, a roll of 1 on one die will cause its opponent to lose a further 1 STAMINA point. Once its prey is dead, the Cave Crawler will feed on it at once, still hanging onto the ceiling while it grips its food in both hands and starts to eat. SOULSUCKER by Andrew Hill Skill: 6 (see below) Stamina: 9 Habitat: Dungeons, Caves, Ruins Number Encountered: 1 or 2 Type: Undead Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Low Trapped on the Earthly Plane in their decaying bodies as punishment for a life of evil, Soulsuckers stalk tombs and dungeons in search of victims to wreak their revenge upon. Evil in the extreme, these foul undead beings look like green-skinned zombies, with rotting flesh and sunken eyes the colour of fresh blood. They attack with their bare hands, scratching and clawing with sharpened talons as they try to make contact with the bare skin of their adversary. A successful wound from a Soulsucker causes one point of STAMINA damage, but also drains one point of SKILL, which is added to the Soulsucker's own SKILL! The only way to regain SKILL points lost in this manner is to kill the Soulsucker outright. As a result of their life-draining powers, Soulsuckers may have SKILL scores greater or lesser than the average listed above. GamesMasters wishing to vary a Soulsucker's SKILL should roll one die and add three points for each Soul- sucker's score. These foul creatures will often be found guarding rich stolen hoards or a tomb full of treasure. GLEFF Anonymous Skill: 7 Stamina: 10 Habitat: Caves, Dungeons, Ruins Number Encountered: 1 to 6 Type: Humanoid Reaction: Unfriendly — Hostile Intelligence: Average Gleff are believed to be strange hybrids of Goblins and Rock Eaters, possibly bred by the bizarre eastern sorcerer Omeron. Legend has it that Omeron, well known for his massive greed, wanted slaves to mine for precious metals. Crossbreeding Goblins with Rock Eaters (strange subhuman creatures now extinct which lived on rock itself) the wizard eventually created a being which was both a natural miner and had enough intelligence to follow complicated orders. Omeron had not reckoned with the native malevolence of the Goblin half of the Gleff's nature, however. The Gleff stole all the precious minerals they mined, telling their master that none had yet been found. Omeron discovered their trickery, the story goes, and the Gleff were slaughtered in their hundreds before they undermined the foundations of the wizard's tower and it collapsed, killing him as it fell. The Gleff still eat rock food, though they now know the true worth of precious minerals. They are shy, defensive creatures, and will attack any intruders to their underground domain. They fear strong light, though, which confuses them and makes them fight with 3 deducted from their Attack Strength. If a Gleff manages to grab hold of its opponent in both hands, however, (indicated by an Attack Strength at least 3 greater than its opponent's) it will crush them for an extra 2 points of damage. Gleff love precious gems above all things, and can sometimes be bribed to leave an adventurer alone, but they are treacherous beings and will kill their adversary as soon as they have their hands on the bribe! SECTILE by Robert Hinchllff Skill: 10 Stamina: 16 Habitat: Caves, Dungeons Number Encountered: 1 or 2 Type: Reptile Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Average These strange six-legged reptilian creatures are found in underground areas in all parts of the world except the coldest northern regions. Their insect-like features and beaks give them a very odd look, but they are strong and dangerous creatures. Should an adventurer wander too close to a cave inhabited by a Sectile, it will attempt to ward them off with much hissing and spitting. If this fails, the large creature will attack, pecking with its horny beak and slashing with its taloned feet. If the Sectile's Attack Strength totals 21 or more in any given Combat Round, it has successfully stabbed its opponent with its barbed poisonous tail, causing a further 4 points of damage. Sectiles rarely venture from their caves during the daytime, but at night under the cover of darkness they will roam far and wide in search of prey. Their eyesight is very poor, but this is more than made up for by their splendid hearing and their sensitive antennae, which can let them detect potential prey over a mile away on a still night. THE CLEAVER by Jamie Latuskle Skill: 8 Stamina: 13 Habitat: Caves, Dungeons, Ruins Numbered Encountered: 1 Type: Reptile/Humanoid Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Average Possibly descended from a mutated strain of Lizardmen, the Cleaver is a terrifying reptilian creature. It stands well over two and a half metres tall, though it appears hunched and stooping, and is covered in greenish-black scales so tough successful blows against them only cause a single point of damage. Living alone in underground caverns and abandoned caves, the Cleaver stalks the night searching out humans and other prey. As a weapon it uses the massive cleaver which has given the monster its bizarre name. It is not well known whether the Cleaver is a unique creature. While it has never been encountered in the company of any similar creatures — or at least, never by anyone who survived to tell the tale-the Cleaver is infamous in many parts of the world, where it is feared by all. Warlock 9 This issue did not really have an OotP section. Only thing new thing was: SAND WEEVIL Orange beetle 4 inches long. Eats one meal per attack round until killed. Trying to kill one with anything larger than a dagger means attack strength reduced by 2. SAND WEEVIL SKILL 2 STAMINA 3 If a Sand Weevil wins a round of combat, it will bite its opponent. The bite does not cause the usual loss of STAMINA points, but the victim must roll his/her current STAMINA or less on four dice — failure means that the victim suffers the following effects: I. The victim is wracked with hunger for a number of hours equal to the dice score; during this period his/her SKILL is reduced by 2 points. 2. Any meals consumed in this time will restore only half the usual loss of STAMINA points. 3. If a spell or potion is used to restore STAMINA, it will not have its usual effect. No STAMINA points are regained, but the effect is ended, and any further meals, potions and spells will have their normal effect. When the last Sand Weevil is killed, the scene shifts again. Warlock 10 EXO-BEAST by Paul Conway SKILL: 10 STAMINA: 11 Number of Attacks: 2 Habitat: Dungeons, Deserts, Wilderness Number Encountered: 1 to 3 (roll one die and halve the result) Type: Humanoid Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Average The Exo-beast is a peculiar being, typically found roaming dark, underground passages, or wandering the fringes of deserts and wilderness in small hunting packs looking for prey. Basically humanoid in nature, it derives its peculiar name from the hard, armoured exo-skeleton which covers most of its body. The Exo-beast stands just under two metres in height, and is quite strong and muscular in build. Its left hand is like that of a normal human, but its right is a large, crab-like pincer. In combat the Exo-beast will usually use this pincer in conjunction with a vicious curved scimitar. If it wins an attack round, roll one die. A 6 indicates that it has grabbed its opponent with this pincer, crushing for 4 points of damage to the victim's STAMINA instead of the usual 2. For this reason, Exo-beast warriors are much feared wherever they are encountered. It is not known where or how the Exo-beast evolved, but in some scholarly circles it is believed to be the result of some evil sorcerous experiment in cross-breeding. Over the centuries many mages aligned to the Forces of Evil have tampered with Nature in attempting to produce the perfect warrior, and it is very possible that one such experiment resulted in the creation of a race of Exo-beasts, which appear to possess all the best features of an Orc, a crab and a triceratops! If they did indeed come from such a source, the unknown wizard who spawned them did a very good job, for the Exo-beast can live for a very long time. If it doesn't die in combat, the Exo-beast will live until it is between 60 and 70 years old. All its bodily functions slow down and it enters a short period of hibernation which lasts around ten days, during which time its bony armoured skin cracks, to reveal fresh skin beneath. The Exo-beast rises phoenix- like from its sleep, with its skin pink and raw. This hardens over the next fifteen days, during which time the Exo-beast has SKILL 7 STAMINA 6, until it is as hard as it ever was. An individual Exo- beast can regenerate itself like this up to around a dozen times, giving some creatures a lifespan in excess of 800 years! SNAKESPAWN by P. Chare SKILL: 10 STAMINA: 18 Number of Attacks: 2 Habitat: Demonic Plane, anywhere their victim is Number Encountered: 1 Type: Demon Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: High The utterly vile Demon Princes who rule over the Infernal Abyss are a vindictive bunch who rarely fight fair. If one of their more important servants on the Earthly Plane is unfortunately killed by some brave adventurer out righting wrongs, they don't just tear up their plans and throw them in the demonic equivalent of a waste-bin. Instead they become violently vengeful, demand that justice' be done, and send forth a Snakespawn. These grisly beings are horrific in appearance, having a snake's body and tail, and a four-armed human upper half, and typically carrying a terrifying array of jagged-edged weapons. Unlike most monsters with more than one attack, Snakespawn are actually able to deliver two strikes when fighting a single adventurer, as well as when they are fighting a group of adversaries. In any attack round, their opponent must roll up two Attack Strengths. If he beats one he is able to injure his demonic opponent; if he wins against the other attack he has only held the thing off for another round. Even worse, Snakespawn have a powerful poisonous sting at the end of their tails, which they will strike if both their attacks get through, causing an extra 3 points of damage unless their opponent can Test their Luck. If a Snakespawn's physical form is killed on the Earthly Plane, its spirit will be sent back to the Abyss, from where it can never return. GREMOLL by Simon Newman SKILL: 8 STAMINA: 6 Habitat: Dungeons, Ruins, Marshes, Wilderness Number Encountered: 1 to 6 Type: Humanoid Reaction: Unfriendly-Hostile Intelligence: High These nightmarish creatures resemble nothing so much as giant humanoid newts. They are tall and thin, coloured a sickly green all over and standing nearly two and a half metres high, but their most noticeable features are their sinister bulbous eyes which conceal an intelligence well in excess of that of humans. They are not a populous race, and as a result hide themselves away from civilisation in dark and shadowy places, their favourite habitat being semi- stagnant underground rivers. However, they are natural carnivores, and their appetites sometimes get in the way of their better judgements. They are not strong creatures, and will not fight if they can help it, but when the feeding frenzy hits them they are more likely to make suicidal rushes at potential prey. Normally, however, they prefer to sneak up behind a victim and throttle them with long, clammy fingers, waiting until they are unconscious before dragging them back to their lair to eat. It is a peculiar quirk of these strange creatures that makes them delay eating a meal until they have told it in graphic detail just how it is going to be prepared. As a result most of their victims die of fright well before they are sliced and cooked! SHADOW FIEND by Neil Sylvester SKILL: 11 STAMINA: 13 Habitat: Dungeons, Ruins, Caves Number Encountered: 1 Type: Undead Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: High Here comes an adventurer, creeping warily down a dungeon passage, his way lit only by the flickering flame of his lantern. The shadows dance as he treads carefully on; in every corner, it seems, strange beasts are hiding, waiting to strike. He gives a start, perhaps, as his own shadow rears up the wall next to him, before relaxing again, chiding himself for being so nervous. Then the Shadow Fiend strikes! Rearing up, it strikes for the adventurer's throat with two dark hands with a touch as cold as midnight. If it makes a hit the Fiend has caught hold, causing two points of damage. In every round after this, its victim must win the combat to stop the Fiend from choking away 2 more points. The Fiend's victim can only dislodge the ghastly thing by winning three rounds in a row. To actually damage a Shadow Fiend, an adventurer needs to be free of its clutches, and to possess a magical sword, for these creatures are malevolent undead spirits, not living beings! DROUG by David Pearson SKILL: 6 STAMINA: 14 Habitat: Dungeons, Caves Number Encountered: 1 to 2 Type: Insect/humanoid Reaction: Unfriendly-Hostile Intelligence: Average A Droug is an insect-like humanoid, rather like an elongated, upright beetle. They have two pairs of arms, shiny black armoured bodies, and a stump tail tipped with a nasty poisoned sting. They prefer to live in dark, shadowy places away from civilised parts of the world; their large compound eyes cannot adjust to daylight too well, and if encountered in open country they will have a SKILL of 5. They are terrified of naked fire, and they will flee from it 4 times out of 6. In combat a Droug will attack twice, once with a combined assault from its claw-tipped hands, and once using its tail. After a normal attack has been resolved, a six-sided dice must be rolled. On a score of 5 or 6 the Droug will sting its opponent for an extra 2 points of damage. Although they are not clever by human standards, they are shrewder than their insect forbears, and have learnt to use several good tactics in combat. Their favourite appears to be setting two Droug against a single opponent. On a successful hit, one Droug grasps hold and pins their opponent down, while the other strikes at him — hitting automatically. To escape the clutches of the Droug holding him, an adventurer must win a combat round against him — though during this time the other Droug will have hit him for between 2 and 4 extra points of damage! Droug share the simple desires common to all semi-intelligent humanoids — staying alive, keeping well-fed and warm and slowly amassing a sizable hoard of pretty shining things. They are not especially sociable creatures, preferring to live in groups no larger than five or six strong, hiding out in colonies tunnelled into cliff faces, or burrows deep below the ground. Warlock 11 LIGHTNING CREATURES by Barnaby Holmes SKILL: 7 STAMINA: 10 Habitat: Mountains Number Encountered: 1 Type: Elemental/humanoid Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Average The Lightning Creature is a shocking monster which dwells only at the storm-lashed tops of the highest mountains or on the Elemental Plane of Air, where it can rely on a continuous supply of the lightning which keeps it alive. Made up of pure elemental energy, it assumes a vaguely humanoid shape for most of the time, though it can transform itself into other shapes if need be. It is related to the Air Elementals, it is thought, and is sometimes found in their company. Storm Giants sometimes use them as guardians of their cloud-based citadels, but Lightning Creatures are most commonly found on their own. Lightning Creatures need the power of the thunderstorm to keep them supplied with energy, and must be struck by lightning at least once a month to survive. The power of the bolt is stored in their crackling bodies, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. Because of this, fighting a Lightning Creature can prove to be very perilous. If you hit one with your sword, or any other metal weapon, you will be electrocuted in a flash of sparks. If you score a successful bit, the creature will take one point of damage, but you will take two and your sword will be buckled and blackened, and all but useless. If the creature hits you it scores a normal 2 points of damage, except if you are wearing metal armour, m which case it causes 4 points! Throwing a weapon at the creature will require you to Test your Skill, by rolling less than or equal to your skill score on two dice. If you succeed, the weird monster will short out, causing it 5 points of STAMINA damage, though the weapon will be lost. Similarly, throwing something like a bucket of water over it will require you to make a successful Test Your Skill roll again. Some adventurers have reported encounters with a rarer type of Lightning Creature~ which can also shoot brief flashes of electricity at their opponents. After the normal attack has been made, a roll of 1 or 2 on one die means the Lightning Creature has zapped its opponent for a further 2 points of electric shock damage! As you can imagine, therefore, Lightning Creatures are very dangerous opponents — should you ever meet one you'd better pray you remembered to put your leather armour and rubber boots on! SHROUDED WANDERER by David Picking SKILL: 9 STAMINA: 13 Habitat: Dungeons, Caves, Ruins Number Encountered: 1 Type: Undead Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: High When the Demon Princes gather their undead hordes into armies to attempt another cataclysmic assault upon the Earthly Plane and the Forces for Good, they choose as their captains the Shrouded Wanderers. Always appearing as a tall, decaying skeletal figure clad in a rich but rotting shroud, a Shrouded Wanderer is a thoroughly evil being which only maintains its unliving state by virtue of its own extreme wickedness. When not called upon to lead a battalion of howling hordes from the Abyss, a Shrouded Wanderer stalks dark and dangerous places in search of victims to kill in sacrifice to his satanic masters. A Shrouded Wanderer's unfailing hatred of all living things endows it with a tremendous strength, but it rarely ever needs to engage in close combat. When danger threatens it can summon to its aid either 2 to 7 Zombies (all SKILL 6 STAMINA 6) or 1 to 6 Ghouls (all SKILL 8 STAMINA 7, and with the usual paralysing ability, as described in detail in Out of the Pit). If a Shrouded Wanderer is forced into combat it will usually fight with a weapon such as a long sacrificial dagger, though on the battlefields of Chaos it will use a heavier weapon, such as a sword, which will be enchanted to cause 3 points of damage on a successful hit when used by an undead creature. Like all the most powerful members of the undead, a Wanderer can only be harmed by silver or magical weapons, which cause the usual 2 points of damage. Normal weapons will appear to cut into the creature, but will not cause it any actual harm. The best weapon to use against a Shrouded Wanderer, however, is fire — a successful hit using a blazing torch or a vial of lantern oil will cause 4 points of damage to the creature as its deathly dry shroud and skin gets consumed by the flames. They have no fear at all of crucifixes, holy water or other blessed artefacts. Any living being killed by one of these vile creatures does not become a member of the undead themselves, but remains dead 1u~t: Even the gods cannot raise to the Happy Battleground an adventurer who has died at the skeletal hands of a Shrouded Wanderer. COBRA PEOPLE by Simon Hall SKILL: 10/9/6 STAMINA: 8/6/4 Habitat: Deserts, Ruins, Wilderness Number Encountered: 1 to 3 Type: Reptile/humanoid Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: High Created by an insane Caarth witch-priest to honour the satanic Demon Prince Sith, Cobra People (also known as kassistra to the Caarth) are a hybrid between snakes and humans. They share many of the physical characteristics of the Serpent Guard (called justrali by their Caarth masters), being leathery-skinned human-armed snakes around 3 metres in length. Their eyes are red, their fangs needle-sharp and venom- carrying. Originally bred as servants to the snake people, they have slowly managed to escape their master's rule, and now live in solitary family groups well away from civilisation, be it human or Caarth. They may be warriors or priests, worshipping a wide range of greater and lesser demons, including Sith herself, Trabaten the Lord of Exenteration (a demigod servant of the repulsive demon Ishtra), Vermistra Queen of Serpents, and many more. The scores given above for SKILL and STAMINA are for adult males, adult females, and young respectively. Both male and female share all the daily duties, though most of their priests appear to be adult females. Both sexes possess a number of special attacks which can make fighting Cobra People very dangerous. Cobra People have poisoned fangs, which they will use 3 times in 6 (roll 1 to 3 on one die) after they have scored a successful hit, to cause a further 1 to 6 points of damage, in addition to their normal 2. More importantly, though, the victims begin to stiffen, and within 6 At tack Rounds they will be completely paralysed, unless a healing potion (such as a Potion of Stamina) can be applied. The paralysis will last 4 to 24 hours — roll 4 dice and total their scores. Once their victims are paralysed, the Cobra People will drag them back to their encampment to eat or enslave. With any group of Cobra People warriors, there is a 1 in 6 chance that one is a priest. Priests fight alongside the warriors, but as well as the deadly venom attack they have the power of mesmerism! This cannot be used during battle as such, for it requires the victim to be close enough to be entrapped by the brilliantly-sparkling eyes and soft, soothing hiss of the priest. Resisting the hypnotism of a Cobra People priest requires two successful Test Your Skill rolls. If they fail they will be all but completely under the control of the sinister priest, who can order them to do just about anything apart from killing themselves — though they can be told to kill others. They can only be fired from the grip upon the death of the priest who hypnotised them. Since the Cobra People are so well-armed with weapons and poison, though, this rarely happens… ARCRON by Chris Bormond SKILL: 5 STAMINA: 10 Habitat: Dungeons, Ruins, Caves, Wilderness Number Encountered: 1 Type: Monster Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Average Arcrons are peculiar jelly-like creatures covered in tentacles and suckers, found wandering in a number of desolate parts of the world. They are foul beasts, the result of an accident during an experiment to spawn a new creature carried out centuries ago by the sorcerer Ransond, of the all-but-forgotten land of Sorvok. During his experiment something went drastically wrong and the laboratory exploded, killing the wizard but letting his new creation escape. The badly- mutated creature fled into the wilderness, and little was heard of it for many years. However the Arcron reproduces by dividing into two perfect copies of itself, like an amoeba, every twenty years or so. Now, over half a millennia later, there are many hundreds of the beasts scattered around the world, wandering the wilds in search of food. They are repulsive beasts, covered in a thick slime which smells vilely. More importantly, though, the mucus is sticky. If an adventurer scores a successful hit on it, their weapon will injure the creature, but then stick to its slime on a roll of 1 to 5 on one die. It would not be too difficult to prise off, if one could get a foothold and tug, but unfortunately the creature has several long tentacles, with which it will try and enfold and crush its opponent. If the Arcron scores a successful hit, there is a3 in 6 chance that its sucker will have stuck on to its opponent, who must then score a successful hit in the next round to break free, or take another 2 points of damage. Because of their sticky slime, Arcrons are terrible beasts to fight, though an adventurer can sometimes gain a good idea of their nature from the weapons and bones stuck to them, the remains of previous, less-fortunate adversaries. Warlock 12 DRYADEN by Paul Harries SKILL: 10/9/8 STAMINA: 16/14/10 Habitat: Forests Number Encountered: 1-10/1-6/1-4 Type: Humanoid Reaction: Neutral Intelligence: High/High/Average The Dryaden of the forests of Allansia and the Old World are gentle humanoids related to elves, though even more attuned to the forest. Some say that many millennia previously they were actually a tribe of elves who reverted back to a completely natural life, disregarding life in the civilised tree-top villages. Certainly their appearance suggests this, for they share many physical characteristics with elves. Their ears are gently pointed, their eyes green and piercing, and like the elves they are tall and willowy, with slender limbs that belie their speed and dexterity. Their skin is ruddy and tanned, though, and very unlike the pale complexion of an elf. Like elves, too, they are masters of their forest habitat, able to follow tracks, set snares and generally sneak about without ever being seen by human hunters and foresters. They are helped in this by their clothing, which is usually a mottled combination of various greens and browns, and serves to camouflage them in the sparsest vegetation. Unlike elves Dryaden only ever use wooden implements, and never touch metal if they can help it. They fight using wooden staves, bows and carved daggers, though this does not make them easy prey by any means, for they are skilful and cunning warriors, especially when fighting in the upper branches of their tree-top habitat. Some Dryaden warriors wear light armour of woven branches or thin beaten leather. They make their homes high above the forest floor, perching there on small wooden platforms surrounded by woven `walls' of leaves. The Dryaden call their platform a `tallen', and often arrange them together to form small tribal villages. No matter how far they roam on a hunting or foraging trip they will always return to the tallen by nightfall. During the day only a few members of a tribe will remain behind as guards for the younger members of the tallen. Predators usually have great difficulty finding their tallen, unless they knew what to look for: the unusually thick clumps of leaves high in the upper branches, the preponderance of sturdy vines (used for swinging and climbing by the Dryaden) - and then the sudden appearance of great numbers of lithe brown- clothed beings, leaping from the branches to attack ferociously with staves and knives! After a long life, maybe 200 years, spent hunting the creatures and tending the plants of the forests, and worshipping the elven plant goddess Erillia, a Dryaden will find a quiet and secluded part of the forest and die peacefully, his body covered by the leaves. It is said that a tree always grows where a Dryaden dies... (Note - the stats given above are for adult male, adult female and young Dryaden respectively.) NIGHT-MARE by Adam West SKILL: 10 2 Attacks STAMINA: 11 Habitat: Demonic Plane, anywhere at night Number Encountered: 1 Type: Demon Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Average When the Wild Hunt rides out, the Demon Princes of the Abyss mount themselves on Night-mares, midnight-black winged steeds spawned in the depths of the Pit itself. And even when the Hunt is not abroad, a brave watcher of the skies may see the dark shapes of such deathly beasts swooping across the heavens by the light of the full moon. They resemble Pegasus, but unlike those shy, gentle creatures they are ghoulish, demonic beings, bred only for violence and evil. They fly using their large, feathery, red-tipped wings, flapping about the night sky in search of fresh souls for their masters to feed upon! Their eyes, manes and tails match the blood-red tint of their wing- tips, giving them an unearthly glow as they flap their way across the heavens in search of more worthy victims. As their name suggests, the creatures appear on this plane only during the hours of darkness. As the first grey streaks of dawn stain the sky they flap away to the Demonic Plane, as earthly sunlight will kill them. But during the night they may have hunted down over a dozen humans, knocking them down with their fiery-tipped hooves before tearing them apart with razor-edged teeth. Anyone attacked by such a beast will fight with their Attack Strength reduced by 2 in the first round owing to the surprise caused by a silently swooping Night-mare! BURROWBEAR by Mark McLeod SKILL: 8 STAMINA: 10 Habitat: Caves, Dungeons, Plains Number Encountered: I Type: Animal Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Low Burrowbears are strange, subterranean creatures, so-called because they resemble bears to some extent, though they do not appear to be related. They are large~ hairy beasts, covered in sleek black or brown hair except for their large pink snouts. These are very sensitive used for smelling out the location of tasty roots or underground fungi which they live on. When such food is In short supply a Burrowbear will venture much further a field, hunting out small settlements of dwarves, orcs or goblins and preying on them. They will usually bury straight into a cavern, through a wall or floor, and then leap into the attack with a chorus of ferocious growls. They are well-equipped for fighting, as their paws hold strong retractable claws powerful enough to burrow through rock (and slice through armour!). Because of these much- feared claws, every hit by a Burrowbear causes 3 points of damage to its opponent's stamina. Very occasionally, a Burrowbear will come to the surface in search of food. If this is during the daytime the Burrowbear will fight with 2 subtracted from its Attack Strength, for its eyes are not used to the glare of strong sunlight. They are solitary beasts, meeting only occasionally. They make their lairs In small caverns which they excavate from the rock itself, deep beneath the surface and far away from the tunnels of other creatures. They don't know about the value of treasure and never possess~ any, though some may well be found lying amidst the bones of previous meals. Their pelts can sometimes be sold for a few dozen Gold Pieces, and a number of dwarven tribes pay bounty for every Burrowbear skin delivered to them as proof of its death. XIAU by Su Macklam SKILL: 11 3 Attacks STAMINA: 20 Habitat: Caves, Ice Number Encountered: 1 or 6 to 16 Type: Monster Reaction: Neutral - Hostile Intelligence: High The Xiau are the largest of what some scholars have called the Cold- Drakes, the dragons of the Icy northern wastes. They are immense creatures, related to White and Silver dragons, though their body shape suggests that they are in fact closer related to lesser lizards. Male Xiau can grow up to twenty eight or thirty metres long, standing a good six or seven metres high at the shoulder; females and young are smaller, though they are still large compared to other dragons. Unlike other dragons, Xiau have a smooth, supple skin almost like soft leather. They are mainly white in colour, though often with a faint pastel flush of blue or grey along their flanks, and with darker claws, eyes and nostrils. They are thin, lengthy creatures, lithe and dextrous compared to other dragons, though lacking In a ridge along the spine. Their heads are strange, too, for they have a long spike- like horn which sweeps back over their back, and wide cheek ridges made of toughened bone. They can talk In a great many tongues, both ancient and modern, their voices varying between a soft whistle and a rough purr. They are long lived creatures, despite the cruel habitats they choose to live in, and their memories are great. Most common Xiau live in herd-groups - called `teks' - which consist mostly of females and young protected by a pair of herding males. (Roll 2 dice and add four for the exact number encountered; 2 will be males, and half the remainder will be young.) The longer-lived males, though, become more and more solitary as they age, however, and it is just as likely that an adventurer will encounter a lone male as a tek. Male Xiau are temperamental beings, arrogant too, and they are prone to extremes of violence for little or no reason unless handled very carefully. Xiau hate heat of all kinds, and will shy away from fire unless a young Xiau is in greater danger. As well as their frightening claws and teeth, Xiau have a frigid breath which sprays a fine jet of sub- zero vapour for up to four metres from their snouts. In a battle they will breathe frosty air, for one die of damage, every time they fail to score a normal hit. Three hits from a Xiau's breath will freeze a man solid, causing instant death! Warlock 13 KRAGON by David Picking SKILL: 10 (see below) 4 Attacks STAMINA: 25 (see below) Habitat: Caves, Ruins, Wilderness, Demonic Plane Number Encountered: 1 Type: Undead Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Low The Kragon is surely one of the rarest and most feared undead beasts ever to stalk the surface of the world. Seldom has a man witnessed such a beast and lived to tell the tale, but a few years back the sage Canastus had the misfortune to see a fight between five men and a Kragon In the wilds of the Flatlands of Allansia. This is how he put it in his journals: `And then I espied the five warriors, creeping gingerly into the cavern's mouth. But before they had disappeared into the shadows there came an ear splintering shriek and out of the cave came the most hideous creature I have ever seen. All five brave warriors attacked at once, but two were sent sprawling by a flap of the beast's wings, and the rest were trampled and gouged by Its terrible clawed feet. In under thirty seconds the five brave heroes were dead! I turned and fled, fearing for my life...' A Kragon Is created by a lengthy magical ritual Involving the animation of a freshly-dead dragon -little ~under such creatures are so rare! Even worse, they are very difficult creatures to control, for they still retain some semblance of their previous Intelligence, though It is twisted and warped into a being of pure evil. They will not serve anyone less than a Demon Prince~ and even then they are savage and unruly, preferring above alto kill or maim all living or undead beings. The size and strength of a Kragon depends very much on its age before it died. The SKILL and STAMINA scores given above are for a typical creature, though younger or older Kragons will have different scores. To work out the scores for a Kragon take the scores it had as a living dragon, and reduce its SKILL by 2 and its STAMINA by 4. Kragons are not as skilled at fighting as dragons, for they have much less intelligence, though this is balanced by a terrible killing instinct not found in living dragons. Kragons do not have breath weapons, and they do not hoard treasure since, like most of the undead, they do not possess enough Intelligence to recognise its worth. MIRE-MAN by Simon Hall SKILL: 7 4 Attacks STAMINA: 7 Habitat: Marshes Number Encountered: 1-3 Type: Undead Reaction: Hostile Intelligence: Low Many people die in the swamps of Titan. Some are devoured by their killers; others are left to sink into the foul slime and mud. But the life- forces of a few remain, kept from leaving for the spiritual planes by the swamps' strange fogs and mists, and rise again as Mire- Men. These horrific undead look similar to ghouls, with decomposing flesh peeling to reveal ribs and entrails. They are coloured a putrid grey, dripping with slime and vile pus. A detestable stench hangs heavy in the air around these fiends. Mire-Men need to feed on meat to continue their dreadful half-life. They spend much of their time lurking beneath the surface, awaiting the passing of a living creature. When one happens by they will burst out, attacking with a weapon or their teeth. The fetid odours surrounding them can also be a hazard; after the second Attack Round, and every round thereafter, the Mire-Man's opponents will begin to weaken, losing 1 STAMINA point. When its opponent eventually succumbs the Mire- Man will drag their lifeless body beneath the surface to feast, leaving no sign of the foul deed it has committed. FLAME DEAD by Mark McLeod SKILL: 10 2 Attacks STAMINA: 6 Habitat: Caves, Dungeons, Dragon Lairs Number Encountered: 1-4 Type: Undead Reaction: Neutral-Hostile Intelligence: High The ancient race of dragons have accumulated much arcane knowledge over the millennia, a great deal of it totally incomprehensible to the sorcerers of other races. The creation of Flame Dead is one such field of knowledge. They are the reanimated skeletons of creatures slain by dragon flame, and so are most often found in the company of red, gold and green dragons. Flame Dead are a disquieting sight even to the most experienced adventurer. Their skeletal bodies burn with a green, supernatural fire, while white flames dance wildly in the creatures' empty eye sockets. In combat the Flame Dead attack with their hands, which burn an opponent for one die of STAMINA damage for every successful hit. Dragons use the Flame Dead for a number of purposes, putting them to work as servants and as guards for their treasure hoards. Sometimes a dragon will use Flame Dead to convey messages to people it is trying to impress or frighten. The power of speech and the high level of intelligence of the Flame Dead use up a great deal of magical energy which accounts for their low STAMINA. NIGHTSHADE by Scott Keith SKILL: 11 STAMINA: 10 Habitat: Dungeons/Ruins Number Encountered: 1 Type: Undead Reaction: Unfriendly-Hostile Intelligence: Average-High Stalking dark, dank dungeons in search of fame and fortune can be a dangerous thing, especially when a Nightshade lurks in the shadows, waiting to pounce on the next unwary adventurer. Many people know the tales of how the Nightshades are formed. Formed from failed experiments with resurrection spells, the spirits of malicious demons are called Into the bodies of dead warriors, which rapidly decay and fester, but rise again to stalk the world. A Nightshade will usually surprise an adventurer by appearing from the shadows as a shapeless, cloaked and hooded being. Because of this ability to leap from the shadows their first strike Is usually automatic. Anyone who glimpses inside the hood will only see mind- mangling nothingness, which will cause them to Test For Luck or go insane. The touch of a Nightshade is so deathly cold that it takes 3 points of damage instead of the usual 2. Even worse, a Nightshade drains its opponents of their life-force with this chill touch. For every hit this being causes, it gains a STAMINA point itself! Like many of the more powerful undead, a Nightshade can only be hit by silver weapons. =Kifelé a Veremből (lista)= A *Aakor *Aardwolf (giant) *Ape (great) *Ape Man B *Baddu-beetle *Banshee *Basilisk *Bat *Bear *Bhorket *Bird Man *Black Lion *Bloodbeast *Boar (Wild) *Boulder Beast *Brain Slayer *Bristle Beast C *Caarth *Calacorm *Cat people *Caveman *Centaur *Centipede (Giant) *Champaque *Changeling *Chestrap Beast *Clawbeast *Clone *Cockatrice *Crab (Giant) *Crocodile *Crypt Stalker *Crystal Warrior *Cyclops D *Dark Elf *Death Spider *Death Wraith *Decayer *Demon Bat *Demon (Earth) *Demonic Servant *Demonspawn *Devlin *Dinosaur *Dog *Doragar *Dracon *Dragon *Dragonfly (Giant) *Dripper Plant *Dwarf * E *Eagle *Eel *Elemental *Elf *Elvin *Eye Stinger F *Felinaur *Fetch *Fiend *Fire Demon *Firefox *Fire Sprite *Fishman *Flayer *Flesh Grub *Fly (Giant) *Flying Fish *Flying Guardian *Fog Devil G *Ganjee *Gargoyle *Gark *Genie *Ghoul *Giant *Gnome *Goblin *Golem *Gonchong *Grannit *Gremlin *Gretch H *Hamakei *Harpy *Harrun *Hawk *Head-hunter *Hell Demon *Hellhound *Hill Man (Wild) *Hobgoblin *Horned Demon *Howl Cat *Hydra I *Ice Demon *Imitator *Iron-eater J *Jaguar *Jib-jib K *Kokomokoa *Krell L *Leaf Beat *Leech (Giant) *Leprechaun *Life-stealer *Living Corpse *Lizard (giant) *Lizardine *Lizard King *Lizard Man M *Mammoth *Man-orc *Manticore *Mantis Man *Marsh Hopper *Marsh Wraith *Medusa *Merman *Messenger of Death *Mik *Minotaur *Mirror Demon *Mist Vampire *Mucalyctic *Mudclaw *Mummy *Mungie N *Nandibear *Nanka *Neanderthal *Night Demon *Night Stalker *N'yadach O *Octopus (giant) *Ogre *Orc *Owl (giant) P *Pegasus *Phantom *Piranha *Pit Fiend *Pitcher Plant (giant) *Pixie *Poltergeist *Pygmy R *Rat (Giant) *Rat Man *Razorjaw *Red-eye *Rhino-man *Rock Demon *Rock Grub S *Sabre-toothed Tiger *Sand Devil *Sandworm (giant) *Scorpion (giant) *Sentinel *Serpent Guard *Serpent Queen *Shapechanger *Shark *Skeleton *Skorn *Skunkbear *Sleeping Grass *Slime Eater *Slime Sucker *Slug (Giant) *Snake *Snake Demon *Snapperfish *Snattacat *Spider (Giant) *Spider Man *Spirit Stalker *Spit Toad *Sprite *Stingworm *Stranglebush *Strangle Weed *Suma T *Tangleweed *Tarator *Tentacled Thing *Toa-suo *Toad (Giant) *Tree Man *Troglodyte *Troll V *Vampire *Venus Fly-trap (giant) W *Wasp (Giant) *Were-creature *Wheelie *Wight *Will-o'-the-wisp *Wolf *Woodling *Wraith Ape *Wrapper *Wrym *Wyvern X *Xoroa Y *Yeti Z *Zombie Kategória:Feldolgozásra vár